Nissan’s Oppama Plant in Kanagawa, Kanto will begin using a driverless towing system called Intelligent Vehicle Towing (IVT). IVT will be responsible for transporting finished vehicles to and from designated areas around the plant.

IVT uses the company’s LEAF electric car to autonomously carry cars from destination to destination. The LEAF is equipped with cameras and laser scanners that help it maneuver along its path while avoiding obstacles and potential dangerous situations.

Combining the information that the car picks up through its cameras and laser scanners with mapping data, the LEAF operates within the speed limits of the plant while driving along a route that can be altered if necessary.

In a year of testing, IVT has conducted more than 1,600 test runs. These test runs led to the development of other systems including a safety system and a fail-safe system; each of which take into account outside factors that IVT might run into while operating, to make sure that it can still function safely despite conditions such as bad weather or low light conditions.

To keep track of the cars that lead the system, Nissan has a central traffic control system that monitors the status of the vehicles and stays updated on necessary information about the vehicles including location, operational status and battery life. The system also helps determine which car has the right of way when they come in close proximity of each other, such as meeting at an intersection.

If the integration of IVT at the Oppama Plant goes smoothly, other facilities might receive the technology as well.

Video footage of the system in action can be seen here.

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